This invention relates generally to toy figures and particularly to those operating under a remote control apparatus.
Toy figures have proven to be an extremely popular and long-lasting toy category which practitioners in the toy arts have pursued vigorously for many years. Such toy figures are well known and vary substantially from simple plastic often articulated dolls or toy figures to more complex structures which utilize internal battery-powered electric motor apparatus for movement and propulsion. Many toy figures also operate in combination with accessories such as simulated weapons, sports equipment, autos and other vehicles as well as accessory-type environments such as buildings or dwellings.
The appearance of toy figures is also subject to substantial variation and thus toy figures have varied in appearance from fanciful cartoon-like figures to highly authentic and carefully designed realistic animal figures. Toy figures have also been provided which are exaggerated in appearance resembling monsters or the like. One popular type of toy figure is known generally in the art as xe2x80x9caction figuresxe2x80x9d and often embodies a super warrior or super soldier type figure. Additionally, mechanical appearing toy figures such as robots or so-called xe2x80x9ctransformablexe2x80x9d toy figures have also proven to be very popular among consumers.
One of the more recent developments in the toy figure art has been the advent of remotely controlled toy figures. Such figures typically employ an internal battery power supply and one or more motors operative to provide articulation and movement, propulsion, and other actions or features. The remote control mechanism itself utilizes a handheld controller with a communication capability to a receiver within the toy figure. Such control links used for remote control have included a tether or wire connection, wireless radio link, infrared communication as well as sound or ultrasound communication.
The continued and increasing popularity of toy figures has resulted in prompting practitioners in the toy arts to provide a virtually endless variety of toy figures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,492 issued to Rudell, et al. sets forth a LIGHT ACTIVATED DOLL having a doll supporting movable arms and movable upper torso and head together with a plurality of light sensors and control apparatus. A remote control unit configured to resemble a camera supports a plurality of user inputs and a communicating light source. The light source is used to illuminate the sensors of the doll with command signals to which the doll responds.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,92 issued to Ryan, et al. sets forth a COLOR RESPONSIVE TOY which senses the color of a target area to select an appropriate output. One of the toys being a rifle which can be aimed at a target to register whether or not a hit has been made. The rifle includes a lens which focuses light precisely in the direction of aim of the rifle onto two identical photo cells. A red filter is placed in front of the first cell while a neutral density filter is placed in front of the second cell. As a result, the red filtered cell generates a larger output when the rifle is properly aimed at the target.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,185 issued to Kwan, et al. sets forth an INTERACTIVE LIGHT-OPERATED TOY SHOOTING GAME having a light projector or light gun and a player-worn target together with self-propelled toy targets all of which detect light emitted by the toy light gun. A shooting game which includes at least one toy light game and at least one toy target is provided in which one game player attempts to xe2x80x9chitxe2x80x9d a target with a light gun. The detectors within the target provide audio/visual effects upon being illuminated by a light projecting gun.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,733 issued to Yokoi sets forth a PHOTO-SENSING VIDEO GAME CONTROL SYSTEM which operates in combination with a cathode ray tube display. A robot includes a photo-detector facing the screen of the display which detects an image on the screen. The photo-detector of the robot generates a code signal corresponding to a change in image brightness or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,658 issued to Openiano sets forth a REMOTELY-CONTROLLED LIGHT-BEAM FIRING AND SENSING VEHICULAR TOY operative to emit a light beam in simulated gun fire. The toy vehicle is sensitive to the directionally emitted light beams or simulated gun fire of other vehicles. Such sensitivity is normally sequentially periodic in quadrants circumferentially around the vehicle to provide an element of randomness and timing for the registration of simulated hits.
In a related type of toy figure, U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,493 issued to Morgrey sets forth a REMOTE CONTROLLED, MULTI-LEGGED, WALKING ROBOT having a skeletal frame supported by right and left leg/foot assemblies and a skeletal structure interconnecting the right and left leg/foot assemblies with freedom for movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,803 issued to Lang sets forth an ANIMATED CHARACTER SYSTEM WITH REAL-TIME CONTROL utilizing radio frequency communication for audio, video and other control signals to animate the character and provide speech. A camera supported within the head of the animated character together with microphones also supported therein are used to provide vision and hearing for the character. A speaker is located within the animal character to provide sound for the operator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,317 issued to Nagano sets forth a METAMORPHIC RADIO-CONTROLLED TRAVELING TOY includes a traveling element together with a plurality of articulated robot elements such as torso, arms, leg, head and so on. The robot elements are multiply articulated to facilitate the alternate configuration of the toy figure into a vehicle utilizing a common traveling element for propulsion.
In a still further related art area, U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,201 issued to Matsuda sets forth a TOY GUN CONVERTIBLE INTO ROBOTIC-HUMANOID FORM in which a toy gun is fabricated of an assembly of articulated sub-components. The sub-components may be alternately arranged through their articulated joints to be reconfigured into a robot-like creature.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,352 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,958 both issued to Matsuda set forth similar toy guns reconfigurable into robot-like forms.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,852 issued to Ejima sets forth a SHOOTING DEVICE FOR TOY capable of providing interest in pleasure and exhibiting reality. The shooting device includes a body which is provided with a shooting mechanism for forward launch of bullets together with a magazine for storing bullets. The bullets are fed from the bullet storage magazine to the shooting mechanism by gravity action with each stroke of the shooting mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,971 issued to Hart sets forth an INTERACTIVE TRACKING DEVICE having a base supporting a rotatable mount upon which a device such as a camera may be supported. A stepping motor and control system is operative within the base to rotate the camera supporting platform in response to tracking sensors. The sensors respond to the output of tracking devices placed upon the to-be-photographed or imaged target.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have to some extent improved the art and have in some instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved, interesting and amusing toy figures.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved and more amusing toy figure. It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved and more amusing toy figure which is operative in response to remote control provided by the toy user.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a toy figure comprising: a toy figure body; a weapons pack supported by the body; a remote control receiver and controller supported by the body; a plurality of projectile launchers each pivotally supported upon the weapons pack and each having a spring-driven launcher mechanism and a trigger element and each projectile launcher moveable between a folded position and a launching position; a plurality of springs coupled to the projectile launchers urging the projectile launchers toward the launching positions; a plurality of releasable latches coupled to the projectile launchers for restraining the projectile launchers in the folded positions against the forces of the springs; a plurality of projectiles each spring-loaded into one of the projectile launchers; release means, responsive to the remote control receiver and controller, for releasing the latches allowing the projectile launchers to pivot to the launching positions; trigger means, Responsive to the remote control receiver and controller, for activating the trigger elements to launch the projectiles; and a remote control transmitter having means for producing a command signal directed toward the remote control receiver and controller, the remote control transmitter command signal operative to cause the remote control receiver and controller to activate the release means and the trigger means.